Inhuldiging van Z.M. den Koning, Willem II. XXVIII November MDCCCXL. Bewijs van toegang tot de Tribune van No. 6. 1840

This is an admission ticket for the inauguration of King William II, printed in 1840. At its apex, we see a heraldic crest, lions rampant—symbols of courage, nobility, and royalty—guarding a shield emblazoned with the king’s motto, ‘Je Maintiendrai’. Such heraldry echoes across time; we find similar motifs in medieval tapestries, Renaissance paintings, even modern-day national flags. Each era imbues these symbols with renewed meaning, yet their primal power remains undiminished. Like the recurrence of archetypes in dreams, these symbols tap into a collective unconscious. Consider, for instance, the lion. From the biblical lion of Judah to the Nemean lion slain by Hercules, it embodies strength and dominance. Its presence here speaks not merely of political authority but of a deeper, more instinctive claim to power. Thus, this admission ticket is more than a mere object, it is a vessel of cultural memory, each element resonating with echoes of the past.